How is Jade Manufactured & Processed?

May 25, 2007 at 8:55 am · Filed under Understanding Jewelry

There are five steps to take jade from a raw stone and turn it into a finished product:

  • 1. Stone Cutting
  • 2. Stone drawing
  • 3. Jade Cutting, Rinsing, Rough Sanding and Smooth Sanding
  • 4. Further Polishing
  • 5. Wax Polishing

    • 1. Stone Cutting
    In the jade-cutting centers of Canton, China and Hong Kong, the raw material of jade is processed with carborundum and diamond powder. Since jade is, as a rule, not transparent, but has a fine luster, the cabochon is the form best suited to it.

    jade cutting
    Stone Cutting

    jade cutting
    Stone Cutting


    2. Stone drawing
    After the raw stone is cut, a craftsman will design the finished products according to its color and shape, the position of the flaws, the direction of the crackles, the color luster and the axial direction of the stone. The purpose is to get the most useful part out of a given stone.

    Stone drawing
    Stone Drawing

    Stone drawing
    Stone Drawing


    3. Jade Cutting, Rinsing, Rough Sanding and Smooth Sanding
    The third step is to cut the stone according to the drawings with an aluminum saw daubed with diamond powder, and then process the stone to become a rough jade. Craftsmen then repeatedly rinse and use a diamond mill to sand the rough jade into the designed shape. After that an emery mill is used to sand the rough jade until it is smooth and fine.

    Jade Cutting
    Jade Cutting

    Rough Sanding
    Rough Sanding

    Smooth Sanding
    Smooth Sanding


    4. Further Polishing
    Sheepskin and some chemicals are used to polish the jade. In addition, plum juice and lime water are used to further polish the jade in order to remove the lipid and steps. The science behind this step is plum juice is a kind of organic acid and it can get rid of the oil stains or lipid, while lime juice can effectively remove the carbide and stains tainted from the above-mentioned processing.

    Futher Polishing
    Further Polishing

    Washing Jade with plum juice and lime water
    Washing Jade with plum juice and lime water


    5. Wax Polishing
    The final process is to polish the jade with bee wax. This will fill the jade’s natural surface pores and to improve the shine and aesthetic feel. Learn more about Jade:
    About Jade
    How Jade Differs
    How to Identify Jade Quality

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    How to Identify Jade Quality?

    May 25, 2007 at 8:43 am · Filed under Understanding Jewelry

    In general, the value of jade is determined by five standards:

  • Color
  • Tone
  • Translucency
  • Texture
  • Cutting

    • Color: Likings for particular colors vary very considerably from region to region and culture to culture. In green jade alone, the connoisseurs differentiate between seven main qualities, from the intense, even green of imperial jade, via apple green and spinach green, all the way to the lighter and to more heavily speckled shades of green. These special nuances often overlap and can hardly be recognized by the untrained eye. In the USA and Europe, emerald green, spinach green and apple green are regarded as particularly valuable. For example, the following green Burmese Jades are examined according to the varying degrees of its color intensity:

    jade color
    From the left, the most saturated to the less in the right

    In the Far East, on the other hand, pure white or a fine yellow with a delicate pink undertone is highly esteemed. In the world of jewellery, the fine violet nuances of lavender jade are very popular. It is however the rare, emerald green of imperial jade, which shines through at the edges, a color of incredible depth, which fetches the highest prices.

    Tone:Tone describes the specific quality of a color grade. The Finest colors are “penetrating” and vivid from a distance. They should be pure, evenly distributed and free of brown or gray tones.

    jade tone
    Vivid color against dull color of Jade


    Transparency:     Translucency ranges from near transparent to opaque. The Highest quality has a body appearance that resembles honey. In the following picture, jade ranges from opaque to transparent, with the latter being the rarest and therefore most sought after.

    jade transparence
    From opaque to transparent Jade

    Texture: Textures ranges from fine to coarse. The highest quality is clear and free of irregularities.

    Cutting: Jade is usually worked into two categories: plain polished shapes such as cabochon and carved designs. Plain polished shapes require higher grade material without flaws. Ratings are made on their proportion and symmetry. For example, a well-cut cabochon should be neither too thick nor too thin in relation to the area of its top surface. It’s “bulge” should be centered, prominent but not exaggerated. Carved designs are often used to eliminate or minimize the effect of flaws and cracks. They are assessed on their aesthetics and the workmanship of the details.
    All in all, most desirable jade is:

  • Intense and even color
  • Honey-like transparency
  • Watery luster
  • Smooth finish
  • Even texture
  • Pure
  • Vivid root-like structure

    • Learn more about Jade:
    About Jade
    How Jade Differs
    Jade Manufacturing & Processing

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    How Jade Differs?

    May 25, 2007 at 8:07 am · Filed under Understanding Jewelry

    Genuine jade or “Yu”, as it is called in China, is strictly speaking a generic term for two different gems: jadeite or nephrite. Both variations of jade are tough stones that don’t break or chip easily.

    Jadeite and nephrite are both regarded in China as genuine jade. It was not until the beginning of the 19th century that mineralogists and gemologists started to differentiate between them, since they bear a considerable resemblance to each other in terms of their appearance, their hardness and the properties they exhibit when being processed.

    Both are tough, since they consist of dense, close-grained, matted aggregates, but they differ from one another in their chemical composition and colors.

    Nephrite ranges mainly from mid to dark green or pale green, but it can also be white, yellowish or reddish. It ranks at about 6.5 on the Mohs scale. Because it is softer than jadeite, finished Nephrite pieces cannot be as highly polished.

    Rarer, and somewhat tougher, jadeite is therefore the most expensive. Jadeite displays hues which include greens, white or pink, lavender, yellows and oranges, browns and violets, blacks and reds. It ranks at about 7 on the Mohs scale, compared to 10 for a diamond, but jadeite is a tough mineral that resists chipping and breaking.

    Both nephrite and jadeite often have veins, blemishes and streaks running through them, though these may not always be regarded as flaws. On the contrary, some of these patterns are considered particularly valuable. In both minerals, the way the color is distributed varies a great deal. Only in the very finest jade is the color evenly distributed.

    Learn more about Jade:

    About Jade
    Jade Manufacturing & Processing
    How to Identify Jade Quality

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    History of Jade

    May 25, 2007 at 7:56 am · Filed under Understanding Jewelry

    Jade – a gemstone of unique symbolic energy, and unique in the myths that surround it. With its beauty and wide-ranging expressiveness, jade has held a special attraction for mankind for thousands of years.This gem, with its discreet yet rather greasy luster, which comes in many fine nuances of green, but also in shades of white, grey, black, yellow, and orange and in delicate violet tones, has been known to Man for some 7000 years. It has been admired by Man in history in different areas with different cultures.

    As early as 3000 B.C. jade was known in China as ‘Yu’, the ‘royal gem’. In the long history of the art and culture of the enormous Chinese empire, jade has always had a very special significance, roughly comparable with that of gold and diamonds in the West.

    Jade was used not only for the finest objects and cult figures, but also in grave furnishings for high-ranking members of the imperial family. Today, too, this gem is regarded as a symbol of the good, the beautiful and the precious. It embodies the Confucian virtues of wisdom, justice, compassion, modesty and courage. It is revered by Asians as the most precious stone to possess the power of good luck, good health, and the ability to resist evil spirit and to get rid of bad luck.

    Chinese is not the only nationality who long revered jade. As long ago as the pre-Columbian period, the Mayas, Aztecs and Olmecs of Central America also honored and esteemed jade more highly than gold. New Zealand’s Maoris began carving weapons and cult instruments from native jade in early times, a tradition which has continued to the present day.

    In ancient Egypt, jade was admired as the stone of love, inner peace, harmony and balance. In other regions and cultures too, jade was regarded as a lucky or protective stone; yet it had nowhere near the significance that it had in Asia, which was presumably due to the fact that people knew relatively little about this fascinating gem.

    Fortunately however, in recent times, people’s understanding of this gem, which fascinates not only the connoisseurs by its perfect interplay of hardness and toughness with an enchanting range of colors and fine luster, has improved; and their esteem for it has been on the increase all over the world.

    Learn more about Jade:

    How Jade Differs
    Jade Manufacturing & Processing
    How to Identify Jade Quality

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    How to find a real and good jewelry wholesaler?

    May 24, 2007 at 2:11 pm · Filed under Jewelry Wholesale

    When you type in the keyword “jewelry wholesale” into any of the searching engines in the Internet world, you will find yourself facing hundreds of, if not thousands of, links relating to “jewelry wholesale”. How can retailers pick out the right one among such a vast amount of information, without spending hours and hours searching on the Internet? Here are my tips to find the right jewelry wholesaler:

    1. Find a “real” wholesaler
    Not all wholesalers, who say they are, are doing wholesaling business. Some jewelry retailing websites use the word “wholesale” to attract customers. Some jewelry websites acclaim they are wholesalers, but actually they just lower their prices a little bit (not enough for you to make money).    Normally speaking, wholesale prices are one third of retail prices. If you find a wholesaler who sells his/her products even lower than one third of retail prices, then, congratulations to you that you find a “real” wholesaler. Some wholesalers mark their prices even as low as one fifth of the retailing prices.Another benchmark of real wholesalers is: real wholesalers ask for large volume of purchases. Only by volume sales can wholesalers survive in business with their minimum margin on prices.

    2. Find a “good” wholesaler
    Think, you are a jewelry retailer, so what you need is to find a wholesaler who can provides jewelry that you can resell at a decent profit, and at the same time, make your customers happy so that they will keep coming back to buy from you. Therefore, you need to find a wholesaler who can provide you jewelry at low-cost (so that you can make money) and good quality (so that your customers will be happy).     I suggest you also evaluate the wholesaler by his/her service. A good wholesaler can guarantee to delivery products to you within the agreed upon timeframe; he/she can quickly respond to your inquiry; and he/she can work hard to meet your needs. If you want to custom make your jewelry, a good wholesaler can communicate with you to ensure he understands your requirements to every detail.A good wholesaler is also honest about what they sell: They will not substitute cheaper materials than the agreed ones. They mean what they say, so you know you will get what you pay for.

    In summary, a good wholesaler can provide you good product and a good price; he can also provide you good service to save you time and energy.

    From www.theSbeauty.com

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    What is Colored Glaze (Colored Glass)?

    May 24, 2007 at 2:09 pm · Filed under Understanding Jewelry

    coloredglaze.JPGColored glaze or Lazurite, called “Liu-li” in Chinese, is a type of multi-hued crystal glass which dates back to China’s Tang Dynasty (618BC-907BC), more than one thousand years ago.

    During the Tang Dynasty, ancient Chinaprospered and its architecture flourished. A form of glazed pottery known as “Tang tri-colored glazed pottery” had already earned great fame in the region. A potter succeeded in experimenting with pottery by adding a material used in the production of tile and this produced the signature translucency associated with the world-famous Colored Glaze (Liu-li) today. The term “Liu-li” was first found in the Buddhist Sutra. In religious scripture, the “Light of Liu-li” signifies the elimination of greed and desire, illumination of the spirit of Buddhism and spreading the glory of Buddha far and wide.

    The material used in Colored Glaze is actually adopted from the raw material used to produce precious crystal glass in the West. Crystal glass is made from a combination of glass and lead oxide. While the proportion for mixing glass and lead oxide varies from country to country, generally speaking, when the percentage of lead oxide reaches 24% and above, the translucency and refractive quality of the glass reaches an excellent level.

    At the same time, the crystal glass is also heavier, softer and in prime condition for crafting into fine works of art. Colored Glaze (Liu-li) is comparable to European and American crystal glass products well-known for their high quality and is thus superior in price and quality to ordinary glass products.

    From www.theSbeauty.com

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    How to get a good deal from jewelry wholesalers?

    May 24, 2007 at 2:07 pm · Filed under Jewelry Wholesale

    jadebracelet.JPGIn this fast changing world, a good deal probably is the one that everybody still wants: customers want a deal, retailers want a deal. How to get a good deal from jewelry wholesalers without getting burned? Here are the tips:

    1. Get information online, not offline
    2. Get products internationally, not domestically
    3. Do NOT buy directly from offshore manufacturers
    1. Get information online, not offline

    Normally, attending trade show is one way for jewelry retailers to get hooked with jewelry wholesalers and manufacturers. But this is an expensive way. Think, how much these show vendors pay for booth renting? How much cost they pay for their inventory? By attending a trade show, they also have to pay for the lounge, travel and food. All of these expenses are added to the jewelry cost they sell to you. At the same time, you will have to spend time and money yourself to go to the trade show. Most times, you have to fly to another state/or city. This means you have to pay for lounge, travel and food, all by you.

    The alternative is: go online. By typing “jewelry wholesale” into Google, you will find yourself facing hundreds of, if not thousands of, links relating to “jewelry wholesale”. You can get their information, compare their prices, and check their delivery online. Then you need to “find a real and good jewelry wholesaler” (see my first article). But in terms of cost, you save a lot.

    1. Get products internationally, not domestically

    As a craftwork, jewelry making costs a lot of time, energy and labor, especially in America. Why not “globalize yourself” by buying directly offshore, such as from China, Vietnam, or Thailand? There are thousands of skilled workers in these countries, who are particularly good in hand-making. Yes, get products internationally means you have to pay international shipping. However, compared to the cost you save in material and craftsmanship, the extra cost on international shipping is easily marked off.

    In fact, international shipping sometimes doesn’t always equalize high cost + long time delivery. For example, an express mail, containing 100 pieces of jade pendants and earrings, only costs $15 and only 5 days to deliver from China to the US, while a USPS priority standard mail costs $9.75 and 3-4 days to deliver within Continental America.

    1. Do NOT buy directly from offshore manufacturers

    Don’t get confused: getting products internationally does NOT mean buying them directly from offshore manufacturers. They are NOT identical. This globalized world is still full of cheats, tricks and traps. How do you know offshore manufacturers will really ship you the promised products after you send them money? How can you ensure they will send you the exact products as they show on their websites? You never know, until you take a chance.

    How about avoiding such risks but at the same time still enjoying the same low cost as buying internationally? A good way is to find a wholesaler who has business in America (still have to abide by US laws), but have a factory offshore. In this way, you not only enjoy the extreme low cost of buying offshore, but also leave all the risks and headaches to that wholesaler. In addition, your business is protected by US laws and regulations.

    Such wholesalers are not easy to find. But if you do fine one, you will save money, time and energy, while at no risk.

    From www.theSbeauty.com

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